Car dumping apparatus



May 12, 1931. Y J. D. PUGH CAR DUMPING APPARATUS 7 Filed Sept. 22, 1928 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 12, 193-1. J. D. PUGH cAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 22, 1928 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 12, 1931. J. D. PUGH CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 22, 1928 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 gnwmltot May 12, 1931.

7 J. D. PUGH 1,804,544

- CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 22, 1928 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 12, 1931. J. D. PUGH cAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 22, 1928 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 12, 1931. J. D. PUGH 1,804,544

CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 22, 1928 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 May 12,1931. I PUGH 1,804,544

' CAR DUUPING APPARATUS Filed Sept; 22, 1928 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented May 12, 1931 i warren stares Parent JOHN D PUGH, GI BALTIMSB-"J, MARYLAND CAR DUMPIHG APPARATUS Application filed September 22, 19%. Serial lid-307,560.

The present invention relatesto car dumpsitate a very strong and ri id construction ing apparatus and particularly to apparatus besides causing excessive friction between of this character intended for use at or near the sliding surfaces. The present invention coal mines-for dumping loaded mine cars. I provides means for relieving the guides of Coal is usually handled at the larger coal these excess pressures, the said means cent mines by means of trains of cars which are prising helical bearing surfaces for the cars; drawn by locomotives from the mine to a re-' which are auxiliary to the helical guide said ceiving point where the cars are discharged bearing surfaces being arranged to counterof their contents and the empty cars returned act the twisting moments referred to above. 10 to the mine for reloading The object of the Other improvements effected by the invenpresent invention in general is to provide tionwill be pointed out hereinafter.

an apparatus which will dump the cars of Referring now to the accompanying drawsuch a train as they are successively passed ings for a particular description of appatherethrough while still coupled together and ratusembodyingthe invention:

15 which will operate on'the cars smoothly and Figures 1 and 1 constitute a side eievawith a minimum expenditure of pow-er. tion of a preferred form of the inventioin F or the attainment o fthe above stated gen- Fig. 1 showing the front half of the appaeral object, the invention provides a coal ratus and Fig. l the rear half; M

dumping apparatus comprising, broadly, a Figures 2 and 2 show a plan of the appa- 20 helical guide through which, the cars are ratus with the supporting structure omitted;

propelled by power means or by gravity and Figure 3 is a right hand end elevation coacting elements on the car-which not only Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line constrain the car to rotate about the axis of 44 of Fig. 1;' r the helix as it progressestherethrough but Figure 5 is a sectional elevation showing support the car in all positions thereof. The thegeneral layout, with a train of cars pass parts are so constructed and arranged that ing through the dumping apparatus; the axis of the helical guide passes through Figure 6 is a detail showing a portion of a the carcouplings and also passes through or car anda guide block carried thereby together adjacent to the center of gravity of the car, with a section 'througa a stationary helical 3 the result being that the car couplings-do not guideadapted to coact with said bloc 0 interfere with the relative rotation of the Figure 7 shows a car carried guide block;

cars and substantially all the power required in side elevation and plan;

to propel the cars through the apparatus is Figure 7 is a sectionaldetail, showing a expendedin overcoming friction. V modified form of guide and guide block;

A car dumping apparatus of the above in- Figures 8 and 8 are sectional views on lines dicated construction is shown in my copend 88 and 8 -8 respectively of Fig 2 ing application, Serial No. 184,155, of which Figure 9 is a partial plan View of a modithe present application is a continuation in fied form ofapparatus; part. The construction shown in this copend Figure 10 is a section on line 10-1O of 49 ing application comprises a. helicalguide Fig. 9, showing a car in elevation; Y 9 which. acts as the sole support for the cars as Figures lland 12 are detail views indicatthey pass therethrough. When a car is roingfurther modifications; tat-ed by coaction with a helical guide say in Figures 13 and 14 are partial plan and side a right hand direction, the center of support views. respect-ivelv. of still another modificaofthe car shifts to the left of'the center of tion; and y gravity of the car, which produces a moment Figures 15 and 16 are sectional details of tending totwist the car in a right hand directhis modification. tion. These twisting. moments cause pres- Figs. 1 to show the invention in what is sure on the helical guide in excess of that at present considered to be its most practical 50 due to the direct weight of the car, and necesform. However, as will become apparent hereinafter, many variations and m0difications of this particular form are possible in a practical sense. As represented, the dumping apparatus, hereinafter called the dmnp, 'romprises a member 20 which has a trough like formation in cross section. The end portions of this trough-like member, hereinafter termed trough, are straight while its intermediate portion is formed into a continuous helix having one complete turn. The sides of trough 20 are concave, being curved on an axis substantially coincidentwith the axis A of the helix. The bottom of the trough is flat, as indicated in Fig. 3. Fig. l shows the bottom curved, but where this section is taken the trough has a helical form. A section at this point taken on a diagonal line would show 'the'bottom flat.

Trough 20 is supported on double truss framesel of rectangular form, these frames being'rigidlyjsecured together by longitudinal members 22 and diagonaljbraces 23. The straight entrance and exit portions ofth e trough are; supported respectively on cross bars 24 of the" two end frames 21, while at intermediate pointsthe trough is supported on the frames by pads QQ'sec'ured to inclined members '26 (see Fig. 4) To obviate themanufacturing' d iiiiculties involved in twisting and bending a rolled plate into thecorrect helical form, the trough may be cast misereral sections. As shown, it is formed in three sections, the abutting ends I of which are flanged and'holted together, as at 27. in Figs. 2 and 2. As indicated in Fig. 5, the framework is supported by [a suitable masonry or concrete foundation.

Fixed in trough 20 is ahelical guide composed of'two guide rails X and Y. These guide rails are generated on axis A, have ,the same p1tch,'andare supported parallel to each other, being'fixed to opposite sides era helical rib 28, which may beintegral with trough 20.: Each'mitj as"illustrated,"consists of a T'baigf'it being observed, however, that the flangedportioiisofthese bars do not extend at right angles to the webs but are inclined away from each other, the obj ect'of this being to reduce the head roomthat these guide rails occ'upj' 'under the car and axle an di alsoto permit increased clearance betweenthecoacting'slideblocks'on the car, hereinafter described, and 't'rack'rails which theseblocks must pass over at switches, crossings and the like. I 1

The cars are of the usual construction, having four Wheels, a flat bottom and flaring slide blocks 28" and 28 which are fixed he neath the car respectively at diagonal front sides." They are provided with' couplings swivelled or otherwise constructed to permit relative rotation of the coupled carsabout a common axis. Each car is equipped withtwo and rear corners thereof, the front block 28 being adapted to engage guide rail X and the rear block 28 being adapted to engage guide rail Y. As shown more clearly in Figs. 6, 7

extend differentlywith respect to each other vsoasgto conform to the helical guide. Obviously the forms of the guide rail and slide block can be reversed. Fig. 7 indicates such a modification, showing a guide 1 rail X formed with a helical T -shaped slot adapted t e, a T- have de l 28 To reduce friction between the guide and bl0cks,' a suitable means for lubricatingthe guide rails or tlie blocks should beprovided.

A particular lubricating means for the rails is i l ra e n Ti 6. omp i i a p pe-'1 xt nding al ng e W b .of t rai an .h ving openings communicating with ducts. in said web at suitably spaced points, each du ct having anun b er of branches Whiclropen at points in the flanges of the; 1'ail.,Lubricant is forced through pipe .p by a pumporby gravlty. V v i Th apparatus thus far described is sufficient in itselfto rotate the .carsfof atrain successively through a complete revolution as t a 1 Pr pe l h e hr ghlit e n noted that the helical guide rails and interfitting icarcarried blocks are ve'fl'ective. not only to constrain the inv ahelical. path but to supportthe cars in all, positionstheige; of. However, to minimize as far aspossible the pressures on the guides and. blocks. gen. erated in the twisting movementsofthe cars. the presentinvention providesauxiliary sup,- porting means for thecars. .Inthe form of the invention illustrated, this auxiliary means consists of liel ical bearing surfaces for the fouravheelsof the car. p a Obvlously during the screw movement of a car" through the. dump the tangent points of the four wheels will describe four separate helices havinga commqnaxis which coincident with the axis of guide-rails..X and Y, audit is therefore impossible to have the two wheels at, ne side ofthecar bearfonga sin-- gle rail or helical surface and ofcourse it is also impossible to havethetwo wheels, at the other sideof the carfollow, a single helical.

mu.- Therefore,-helical bearing surfaces for vided straight horizontal ribs 33, 32- and 3-iin the entrance end of the trough and corresponding ribs 33, 33 and 34 in the exit end of the trough, the ledges of these ribs being aligned with the outside rails 3'? which are secured to the ends of trough 20 M38. As

- a car enters the dump fron' tracks 37, the

four wheels of the car pass on to the straight ledges of ribs 33, 33 and 34, until the car reaches the position shown in Fig. l. In this position the guide rail Y has just entered the guide block 28 and the guide rail X has just entered the block 28, the ends of said guides being separated a distance equal to.

the distance between the blocks so that the latter will be simultaneously engaged. The ends of the guides are tapered, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. to facilitate their entry into the blocks; Upon further movement of the car, the helical guides coacting withthe car carried guide blocks will cause the to turn in a right hand direction, or clockwise. about the axis A, the rear right hand wheel of the car descending and bearing on the rib 36, which is a continuation of rib. 33, while the forward right hand wheel. follows the descending rib 35, which is a continuation of straight rib'33".

When the car is twisted to the right from its normal positionv about the axis of the helical-guide, the mean center of support, which is located midway between the guide blocks at the point S Fig. 3) shifts to the left of the center of gravity of the car. To take care of the excess pressure on the guides which would otherwise be produced by this shifting of the center .ofsupport' with reference to the center of gravity, it is only necessary to provide bearing surfaces for the right hand wheels during the first 180rotation of the car. since the moment of force thereby produced tendsto rotate the car in a righthand direction. During the last 180 rotation the conditions are reversed, the center of support shifting to the right 'of the center of gravity, and it therefore becomes necessaryto support the left hand wheels in order to relieve the guides. Accordingly Figs 1 and 2 show only ribs 35' and 36 for the right hand wheels, corresponding ribs for the other pair being omitted as superfluous, and rib 34L terminating at the point where the forward left hand wheel leaves it inthe initial part of the helical movement. Ribs 35 and 36 terminate near the right hand end of Figs. 1- and 2, or adjacent the transverse center line of the dump, and adjacent this point the ribs 35 and 36 begin and extend to near the exit end of the dump, being continued respectively by the straight ribs 33", 33 and 34:. It will be observed that the arrangement of guides and ribs at the exit end of the dump is exactly reversed with respect to that at the entrance end. Obviously,

It will be noted that during the passage of a car into the left hand end of the dump the forward right hand wheel will pass over a gap between the end of rib 33 and rib 33, this gap being rendered necessary in order to permit the rear wheel to follow the descending rib 36. It will be seen in Fig. 3 that the outer edges of the wheel rims are substantially tangent to the concave faces of trough 20. Therefore, the forward wheel will be guided smoothly overthis gap by the engagement of its outer edge with the concave side of the trough. In'Fig' 2 it will also be noted that the gauge between the ribs 33 and 34 is larger than that between the outside rails 37. This is for the purpose of providing sufiicient clearance be-' 33 and to permit the left hand wheels to leave rib 34 in the initial helical movement of the car; also to provide clearance between the ribs and the wheel rims (as, for instance, corner of rib 35 and edge of rear right, wheel rim when car has fully entered helix, like in A suitable receiver or chute 40 is supported on the framework of the dump in a position to catch the coal falling from the car in the overturning movement thereof. The coal is adapted to be deposited from this chute onto a railway ear or other receiver. The chute may be of any suitable construction. As illustrated, it has a downwardly tapering form and is eccentrical y disposed with respectto the dump, it being located nearer to the forward than the rear end of the dump so as to insure catching of any coal that may be discharged from a car inthe initial turning movement thereof. The forward top edge of the chute is secured at ll to the underside of trough 20, while its rear top edge extends only to the third frame 21 from the right. The rear wall of the chute is cut away, as indicated by the dotted lines 42, Fig. 2 to provide clearance for the car body. The sides of the chute are supported from the frames as indicated in Figs. 3 and l.

Fig. 5 shows the general layout ofthe dump and adjacentterritory. A train of cars is represented as being fed through the dump by a trip feeder F, which comprises a power driven endless chain provided with longitudinally spaced dogs adapted to engage lugs on the cars. The train of cars is drawn up to and beyond the feeder by a locomotive which'is then uncoupled and switched onto another track. function to move the train down a slight incline into the dump and the latter will successively overturn and then right the cars, the coal falling into chute 40. The empty cars passing out of the dump are pro- The feeder will then pelled by an emptyhaulH, which willclear the traii'1 throughthe dump and deliver same to apoint ready to'bejtaken by the locomotive back to themine.

As. heretofore pointed out, in the present apparatus the'cente'r of gravity ofthe car is designedtobe located on or adjacent-t the axis of the helix,or axisof rotation of the car, so that ibstantially all the force necesiaryto propel the car througlrthe' helix expended" ,1 overcoming friction. It is to be'observed,however, th'at the center of gravity "of the loaded car maybe raised substantially above' the axis of rotation to thereby causethe weight of the car to assistits dumping. The increasedtwisting moments produced by raising the center" of gravity will be taken care of by the engagement of the wheels with the auxiliary bearing surfaces, io'tha't no'excess pressure on the helical guide will result.

Figs; 9 and 10 show a modification of the invention in which special supporting ribs, sucli as 85 and 36, may be omitted, theiwheels (ruler-m being formed to engage the concav sides of trough 2O throughoutthe movement of the car through the helical guide. The guide rails X and Y and their coacting guide blocks 28 and 28* may be constructed and clisposed"tl ie' same as in the preferred formalready described. Also there are retained in this modification the straight horizontal ribs 38 and 34L onto which the wheels of" the car pass from the outside traction rails, the cars being supported on these horizontal ribs until their turning movement is iiii ated by the helical guides X and Y. As shown in Fig. 10. the car wheels are cutaway at' 'their outer edges to form spherical surfaces conforming to the curved sides of trough 20.' Since the mean center of supportof the car does not lie on theaxis of the helical path of the car, it is evident that the tang ncy of these curved surfaces to the concave sides of the trough will relieve the helical guides of excess pressure. It would be possible to accomplish this same purpose by having the corner of the wheel rim touching the'concave sides of the trough, but the tendency in such would be to out grooves in the latter. Hence for practical purposes the corners are rounded as shown. Fig. 11 indicates a. modification inwhich the relieving means is disposed outside the wheel rim, and l2 shows a further modification in which the relievin surface is laced tan ent an V V :3

to the wheel flange.

Figs. 13 to 15 illustrate still further modifications. In the construction shown therein a separate helical rail for each wheel of the is provided. Two spaced helical guide railsX and Y are used for coaction with guide blocks .28 and 28? on the car, as in the forms of invention above described. In

addition to these guides there are 'four rails 50, 51, 52 and 53 upon which respectively. bea rthe'four carlwheels 51, 52 and 53. The rails 51 and 52 are horizontal and. straight in the entrance (or exit) portion of the dump so asjto receive the cars; in horizontal position as they pass into the dump,

or as they pass out of the dump. The rail 53 also has astraight horizontal end portion which is in alignment with rail 52. Rail 5 0 terminates at a point inthetransverse planepassing through the front axle of the car at the timewhen the car has engaged the helical'guides X and Y, and is about-to start rotating. After the car has turned through a small angle in its forward travel, Wheel 51 will engage rail 50 and .rollthereon during the remainder of its helical movement through the dump. It will be observed from Fig. 13 that the end portion of rail50 is out of vertical alignment with rail 51 so that rail 50 will not interfere with the movement of front wheel 50*. The frame work for sup-. porting .the rails and guides is not shown but may be similar to the frame shown in connection with the preferred form of the invention. v

The invention is susceptible of various modifications other than those described, and it is therefore not intended to limit the scope of the invention except as defined by the claims. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for dumping cars orthe like comprising, in combination, ahelical guide, a dump car adapted to. be inverted and emptied as it is moved axially of said guide, two guide engaging members carried by said car, one in advance of the other. and both engaging said guide and supporting the car therefrom, the arrangement being such that the center of gravity of the loaded car lies in or close to the axis of the helical guide.

2. The combination with an open topped car of dumping apparatus therefor, the car and apparatus having inter-engaging portions whereby the car is caused to invert and right itself by revolution about a fixed axis as it moves longitudinally of the apparatus, the arrangement being such that the center of gravity of the car both when loaded and empty lies close to the axis about which the car revolves in its dumping movement.

' 3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the apparatus includes a helical guide and the car has guide engaging members positioned at its diagonally opposite corners.

4, In a dumping apparatus, in combination, a helical guide disposed with its axis substantially horizontal, and a car having. guide engaging members, the car having a. flat bottom and the guide engaging members in which each of said members comprises a. V w

in which the axis of the curvedsides of the being secured thereto beneath the car bottom in which said auxiliary bearing surfaces are at diagonally opposed corners.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 in which the guide engaging members are provided with helical slots to receive the helical guide.

6. The combination with a plurality of cars connected together by swivel couplings positioned at or adjacent their centers of gravity, and each car having guide engaging means, of dumping apparatus, said apparatus includ ing a helical guide adapted to be engaged successively by the car guide engaging means as the cars pass through said apparatus, whereby said ,cars may be successively dumped without being uncoupled.

7. Apparatus for dumping cars or the like, comprising, a helical guide, a dump car, two longitudinally and laterally spaced guide blocks carried by said car and provided with helically shaped surfaces for engaging said guide.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 in which said guide blocks are located beneath the car respectively adjacent diagonally opposite corners thereof.

9. The combination set forth in claim 7 'in which said guide and guide blocks are formed with engaging shoulders which enable the guide to support the car in all positions thereof. 1

10. The combination set forth in claim 7 in which said guide blocks have helical slots parallel members spaced from each other and having the same pitch and axis, of a car having two longitudinally and laterally spaced guide blocks formed with helical slots adapted respectively to engage said members.

12. The combination set forth in claim 11 in which one of said members terminates short of the other a distance substantially equal to the distance between the guide blocks whereby the blocks will be entered simultaneously by.

said members.

13. The combination set forth 1n claim 11 in which each of said members comprises a;

web and a flange;

14. The combination set forth 1n claim 11 positions of the car and caused thereby to invert and empty itself as it is moved axlallythrough'the guide, and auxiliary helical bearing surfaces for relieving excess pressure on the guide, said bearing surfaces adapted to be engaged by separate parts of the car structure' 16. The combination set forthin claim 15 so located that they will be engaged respectively by two wheels on the same side of the car.

prise helical surfaces located in the'entrance portion ofthe apparatus adapted to be engaged by a pair of wheels on one side of the car and helical surfaces in the exit portion'of the apparatus adapted to be engaged by a pair of wheels on the other side of said car.

18. In combination with a car dumping apparatus comprising a helical guide and auxv iliary helical bearing members coaxial with theguide and of the same pitch, of a car havingtwo longitudinally and laterally spaced helical blocks adapted to engage said guide, two wheels on the same side of said car being a)dapted to roll on said auxiliarybearing memers.

19. A car chimpingfapparatus comprising a helicalmeinber having a trough-like form in'cross section, a helical guide supported in thetrough adapted to be engaged by ,a car, said trough having. bearing surfaces adapted to be engaged by the wheels ofthecar.

20. The combination set forth in claim 19 in which said trough has concave sides curved substantially on the axis of said trough.

21. The combination set forth inclaim 19 inwhich said bearing surfaces are presented by helical ribs extending along the sides of the trough. i Y

22. The combination set forth in claim 19 in which said bearing surfaces are presented by a pair of helical ribs in the front portion of the trough for engagement by a pair of .wheels on one side of a car and a pairof helical ribs in the rear portion of the trough for-engagement by a pair of wheels on the other side of said car. a

23. Acar dump comprising a helical memher having atrough-like form in cross section with the sides thereof curved substantially on the axis of .the trough, a helical guide supported in the trough adapted to be engaged bya car, the rims of the car wheels being at all times tangent to the curved sides of the trough in the helical passage 'ofthe car through the dump. g 24. The combination set forth in claim 23 trough is eccentrically disposed with refer ence to the mean center of support of the car on' said helical guide.

25. car dump comprisinga frame and a helical. guide supported thereon in combinationwith a car having an open top body and having helical guide blocks on its underside adapted to engage said helical guide, whereby the points of support'of the car on the helical guide will at all times in'the passage of, the car' through the dump be located opposite The combination set forth in claim 15" .in whichsaid auxillary bearing surfaces com to the open side of the car, the pitch of the guide being sufliciently large so that no part thereof will obstruct the car opening in dump- "1H g q 26. The combination set forth in claim-25 in which said guide comprises a helical trough having a guide and support for the car 10- cated centrally therein,the sides of the trough -:being concavelycurved so as to engage the wheel rims of a car at all times in the passage "of the car through the dump.

27. Apparatus for dumping cars or the like; comprising, in combination, a helical w guide, a dump car adapted to be inverted and emptied as it is moved axially of said guide, coupling mechanism carried by said car, two

guide engaging members carried by said car, one in advance of the other, and both engagingsaid. guide and supporting the car thereifrom,'the arrangement being such that in dumping the axis of thecouplings of the car I remains substantially co-incident at alltimes with the axis of the helical guide.

28. Apparatus for dumping cars or the "like comprising, in'combination, a helical guide, a dump car adapted to be inverted and emptied as it is moved axially of said guide,

two guide'engaging' members carried by said car, onein advance of the other, and both engaging said guide and supporting the car therefrom, the arrangement being such that the'center of gravity of the car lies in or 'close'to the axis of the helical guide, said taguide engaging members being disposed "out of parallel alignment with the axis of the helical guide.

- '29. Apparatus for dumping cars=or the like comprising, in' combination, a helical 1 guide having a substantially horizontal axis,

a dump car adapted to be inverted and'emptied as it is moved axially of said guide, two 1 :guide engaging members carried by said car,

one in advance of the other and both adapted to engage'said guide upon entering the ap- V 'paratus and support the car therefrom during the dumping movement, said guide 'engaging members being disposed out of parallel alignment with respect to the axis of the helical guide.

.--3O.'Apparatus for dumping cars or the like-comprising, in combination, helical guide means having a substantially horizontal axis, a dump car, longitudinally spaced guide engaging members carried by 55 "said car, means provided in connection with said guide means whereby said guide'engagmeans simultaneously at spaced points along -said guide means upon entering said appa- 3 60 ratus and to disengage said' guide means ing members are caused to engage said guide simultaneously at spaced points upon leaving said apparatus. W

. In testimony whereof I hereunto' aflix my signature. 

